Solar System QR Code Scavenger Hunt
6.11 Earth and space. The student understands the organization of our solar
system and the relationships among the various bodies that comprise it. The
student is expected to:
(A) describe the physical properties, locations, and movements of the Sun,
planets, Galilean moons, meteors, asteroids, and comets;
Instructions:
Give individuals or groups a Scavenger Hunt sheet, and direct them to use their
portable device to navigate through the codes to find the answers
- - - OR - - Cut apart the numbered items, and distribute them to each individual or group,
directing them to find the answers. You may use a QR scanner like Red Laser,
ScanLife, or iNigma to find the answers. You may want to give each question a
point value, so each team will know how many points they have.
Note: QR codes are scannable from a screen. You could easily copy and paste
these codes into a Powerpoint slideshow. You could display the codes one at a
time, and allow each group to come up to the screen at their leisure to scan.
I used QR Stuff to create my codes.
Number
QR Code
Question
1
What planets
are 4th and 7th
from the Sun,
respectively?
2
How are
asteroids and
planets similar?
Answer
What’s it
Worth?
3
What causes a
comet to have
a tail?
4
How are
meteors
different from
asteroids?
5
In what area
might Jupiter’s
moon, Europa
surpass Earth?
6
What makes
the Sun an
“ordinary”
star?
7
Why is Venus
often referred
to as Earth’s
sister planet?
8
What
mnemonic
device can help
you remember
the order of
the planets?
9
Why should
that mnemonic
device be
changed?
10
The presence
of what
mineral on
Mars gives it a
reddish
appearance?
11
How does the
Sun generate
energy?
12
What is the
nickname for a
comet, and
why?
13
How do the
Sun and Earth
compare in
size?
14
What are
asteroids made
of?
15
Why don’t
really large
meteors hit the
earth?
16
What are the
names of
Jupiter’s four
largest moons?
17
About how
many moons
does Jupiter
have in all?
18
Write an
interesting fact
about Saturn’s
rings.
19
Why does
Mercury’s
surface have so
many crater
impact scars?
20
What amazes
you the most
about the solar
system?
Answer Key
Number
Link
Question
Answer
1
http://www.en
chantedlearnin
g.com/subjects
/astronomy/pl
anets/
What planets
are 4th and 7th
from the Sun,
respectively?
Mars,
Uranus
2
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Object=A
steroids
How are
asteroids and
planets similar?
They orbit
the Sun.
3
http://www.qu
estacon.edu.au
/starlab/comet
_info.html
What causes a
comet to have a
tail?
When they
near the
Sun, the ice
in the comet
begins to
melt.
4
http://www.sci
encekids.co.nz
/sciencefacts/s
pace/cometast
How are
meteors
different from
asteroids?
Asteroids
are larger.
What’s it
Worth?
eroidmeteoroi
ddifferences.ht
ml
5
http://lasp.col
orado.edu/edu
cation/outerpl
anets/moons_
galilean.php
In what area
might Jupiter’s
moon, Europa
surpass Earth?
Amount of
water.
6
http://ninepla
nets.org/sol.ht
ml
What makes the
Sun an
“ordinary” star?
Its size.
7
http://ninepla
nets.org/venus
.html
Why is Venus
often referred to
as Earth’s sister
planet?
Similar size;
few craters;
similar
density and
chemical
composition
8
http://www.en
chantedlearnin
g.com/subjects
/astronomy/pl
anets/
What mnemonic
device can help
you remember
the order of the
planets?
My Very
Eager
Mother Just
Served Us
Nine Pizzas
9
http://www.ki
dsastronomy.c
om/pluto.htm
Why should that
mnemonic
device be
changed?
Pluto is no
longer a
planet.
10
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Object=
Mars&Display=
OverviewLong
The presence of
what mineral on
Mars gives it a
reddish
appearance?
Iron.
11
http://science.
nationalgeogra
phic.com/scien
How does the
Sun generate
energy?
Nuclear
fusion.
ce/space/solar
-system/sunarticle/
What is the
nickname for a
comet, and
why?
Dirty
snowball,
because it’s
made of ice
and dust.
How do the Sun
and Earth
compare in size?
100 Earths
lined up =
Sun’s
diameter.
1,000,000
Earths
would fit
inside the
Sun.
14
http://curiosity
.discovery.com
/question/wha
t-asteroidsmade-of
What are
asteroids made
of?
… in addition
to nickel,
iron, and
magnesium,
asteroids
may
sometimes
contain
platinum,
gold, oxygen
and even
water.
15
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Object=
Meteors&Displ
ay=OverviewLo
ng
Why don’t really
large meteors
hit the earth?
They burn
up in the
atmosphere.
12
13
http://ninepla
nets.org/come
ts.html
http://imagine.
gsfc.nasa.gov/
docs/ask_astro
/answers/9705
18a.html
16
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Display=
Moons&Object
=Jupiter
What are the
names of
Jupiter’s four
largest moons?
17
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Object=J
upiter
About how
many moons
does Jupiter
have in all?
18
http://pdsrings.seti.org/s
aturn/
Write an
interesting fact
about Saturn’s
rings.
Answers will
vary.
19
http://solarsys
tem.nasa.gov/
planets/profile
.cfm?Object=
Mercury
Why does
Mercury’s
surface have so
many crater
impact scars?
Very little
atmosphere
to stop the
meteors.
20
http://www.ki
dsastronomy.c
om/solar_syst
em.htm
What amazes
you the most
about the solar
system?
Answers will
vary.
Io, Europa,
Ganymede,
Callisto
66,67